Cash-register.



No. 773,109. PATENTED OCT. 25. 1904. H. B. WHITBHOUSE. CASH REGISTER.

APPLIOATION FILED 'OUT. 4, 1898.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES: 11V VEN TOR.

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/// A .TTORNLY No. 773,109. PATIENTED OCT. 25, 1904. H. B. WHITEHOUSE.

CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED 0014, 1898.

N0 MODEL. ZSHEETS-SHEET z.

WITNESSESf INVENTOR.

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V of the cash-register; 2, the detail-strip paper- UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904:.

PATENT OEEIcE.

HARRY B. VVHITEHOUSE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,109, dated October 25, 1904.

Application filed October 4, 1898- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. WHITEHOUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for cash-registers, and has more particular relation to attachments for the printing mechanisms for the same.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for sounding an alarm at a predetermined time when the'supply-roll is almost exhausted, so that the person in charge of the machine may thereby be warned to insert a fresh supply-roll.

In the appended drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents an end elevation of a register with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of my said attachment detached fromthe machine and with its bell removed. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the same. Fig. 4 represents a, detail rear elevation of the escapement and the bell-clapper, and Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail perspective view of the two releasing-slides.

I have shown the invention applied to a machine similar to that patented to Hugo Cook September 27, 1892, No. 483,511, but of course do not care to limit its application to such a machine, as it may be applied with equal facility to any machine employing a paper-roll or its equivalent.

In the said drawings, 1 represents the frame roll; 3, the trip-arm; 1, the bell, and 5 the attaching bar or bracket. This bar comprises two sections 6 and 7, adjustable in relation to each other by means of slot-and-screw connection, so that the position of the arm 3 in relation to the roll 2 may be adjusted at will. By moving the section 6 upward the trip-arm 3 may be caused to press with greater force upon the supply-roll 2, or, if it be desirable Serial No. 692,620. (No model.)

being coiled within a spider frame 9, as shown.

Securely fastened to the upper section 6 of the bar 5 is the base-plate 8. A rigid convex spider'frame 9 is secured at its legs by screws or other suitable devices to the baseplate, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and the shaft 11 passes centrally through the spider frame and the base-plate, and its sleeve 10 is on said shaft and secured at its inner end to the spider frame, as shown. The shaft further carries a ratchet-wheel 14 fast thereto and an escapement-wheel 15 loose thereon, said escapement-wheel being provided with a pivoted spring-pressed pawl 16, which engages the said ratchet-wheel. An escapement-pallet 17 is pivoted on a horizontal shaft 17, having one bearing in the arm 9 of the spider frame and its other bearing in the baseplate .8. An arm 18*is secured at one end to and is vibrated by the escapement-pallet. At its other end it bears the bell hammer or striker 18, arranged to strike the bell a succession of strokes when said escapement-wheel 15 is released The latter is provided with a stop projection 19, which is adapted to abut against a nose 20, formed on a slide 21, mounted in suitable guides on the base-plate. This .slide is formed at its outer end with a lip 22 and is arranged to be normally forced outward to hold the nose 20 out of the path of the projection 19 by a spring 23, which is secured to the base-plate, so that its free end will project under an angular catch 24:, formed on said slide. The aforesaid lip 22 is engaged byaset-screw 25, carried by a slide 26, which is suitably guided on the base-plate and is pivotally connected at its inner end to the pivoted angular trip-arm 3. The attachment is so mounted in relation to the detail-strip-supply roll 2 that the horizontal portion of said trip-arm engages the periphery of the said roll, and thus holds the slide 21 in against the tension of its spring and with the nose 20 acting as a stop for the projection 19. The length of said nose is such that the slide 21 must move approximately to its outermost position before it will clear the projection 19 and permit the eseapemcnt-wheel to operate, and thus sound an alarm. The outward movement of said slide is limited by said trip-arm, which bears against the periphery of the roll of paper, so that as the size of said roll diminishes the said arm will be moved forward by the force of the spring 23 acting through the slides 21 and 26, and thus move the slide toward its ultimate releasing-point.

When my invention is to be applied to a device of the class described, the power-spring 13 is first wound up by means of the thumbnut 12. The trip-arm will be held at an angle to the direction of the bracket 5, Figs. 1 and 2, so long as there is a supply of paper upon the roll. As the paper is unwound from the supply-roll, the diameter of the roll becomingless, the angle of the trip-arm, with the supporting-bracket, becomes less until said arm reaches a position where upon the upward movement of the roll 2, as fully described in the aforesaid patent, said arm is allowed to pass so far forward under the lower portion of said roll by the impulse imparted to it by the spring 23, as described, that the nose 20 is allowed to move out of the path of the projection 19 and the wheel 15 thus left free to rotate and sound the alarm. Upon the roll 2 moving down the arm 3 is forced back again, with the result that the nose 20 is again brought into the path of the projection 19, and thus stops the wheel 15 when said projection abuts against said nose. \Vith the usual operation of the machine the upward and downward movement of the roll 2 follow in such close succession that the wheel 15 after being released is only allowed to make one revolution, when it is again brought to rest. This upward and downward movement of the roll 2 is produced by means of devices fully set forth in the aforesaid Cook patent; but for a brief description of the same it may be stated that the transverse shaft Q (see Fig. 1) is revolved at each operation of the machine, and fast to the left-hand end of this shaft is the disk X, which has formed upon its inner side a cam-groove into which projects a stud carried upon the sliding bar U, (neither the stud nor the cam-groove being shown herein, but being fully described and shown in the aforesaid patent.) This sliding bar U is fast at its lower end to the carriage V, upon which carriage is mounted the supply-r0112 and the winding-roll, as shown in Fig. 1, and by means of this cam-groove construction the rotation of the shaft Q and the consequent rotation of the disk X result in the reciprocation of the sliding bar U to cause the carriage V to move upward and downward to carry the paper against the type, thereby also of course causing a reciprocation of the roll 2.

It will be observed from the above that when the roll 2 is nearly depleted a short alarm will be sounded at each operation of the machine, and thus if the first alarms are forgot ten or overlooked the subsequent alarms will repeatedly announce that a new supply is necessary.

If the device should be applied to a machine in which the roll is not movable bodily in relation to the arm 3, a single alarm only would be sounded, as said arm after releasing the devices would not move back to locking position again.

I consider my present invention of such scope as to include machines in which the tripping-arm will engage the paper of the strip to be printed upon whether the means supporting the paper he movable or not.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cash-register the combination with an automatic alarm, of a trip for said alarm arranged to release and arrest the same so that a succession of alarms may be sounded, a printing mechanism, and a relatively movable supply-roller arranged when depleted to release said trip and again force the same to arresting position during each operation of the machine.

2. The combination with a supply-roller of an automatic alarm device, a slide for normally holding said alarm in check, a spring for forcing said slide out of this locking position, a pivoted lever arranged to bear against the periphery of the roller and means mounted on said lever and arranged to engage said slide to hold the same in locking position against the tension of its spring.

8. In a cash-register the combination with an automatic alarm, of a trip for said alarm. a printing mechanism having a supply-roller which is moved away from and toward said trip upon each operation of the machine and means for adjusting the trip in relation to the roller so that the tripping will occur at any desired time.

1. In a cash-register the combination with a sup1. ly-roller for a recording-strip, an acoustic alarm, and a release device for said alarm arranged to follow automatically the movements of the recording-strip on said roller as the supply diminishes without releasing said arm but to finally release the alarm upon the depletion of said supply.

5. In acash-register the combination with a supply-roller for a check-strip, an automatic alarm, and a trip for said alarm arranged to automatically engage the check-strip on said roller and be allowed to gradually operate by the diminishing quantity of the same without IIO releasing said alarm but to finally release the alarm upon the depletion of the supply upon said roller.

6. The combination with a supply-roll, of an alarm device, a slide for releasing said device, a spring for normally forcing said slide to releasing position and a trip-arm for holding said slide in locking position by engaging the periphery of the supply-roll.

7. The combination with a supply-roll, of a spring-actuated escapement carrying a bellclapper, a bell, a spring-pressed slide carrying a stop for said escapement, a trip-lever arranged to engage the supply-roll, and an adjustable connection between said lever and slide.

8. In a cash-register the combination with a supply-roller for a recording-strip, an acoustic alarm, a trip-arm for said alarm and a spring arranged to force said armautomatically into engagement with the record-strip on said roller so that as the supply diminishes said arm will be allowed to gradually operate without releasing said alarm until it finally releases the alarm upon the depletion of the supply.

9. In a cash-register the combination with a supply-roller for a recording-strip, of a spring-actuated escapement carrying a bellclapper, a bell and a trip for said escapement adapted to automatically engage the recordstrip on said roller so that as the supply diminishes said trip will be allowed to gradually operate without releasing said alarm until it finally releases the escapement upon the depletion of the supply.

10. The combination with a supply-roller. of an automatic alarm, an escapement for the same, a release-slide for said escapement, and a trip connected to said slide and arranged to engage the supply upon said roller to move the slide and release the escapement upon the depletion of the supply.

11. The combination with a supply-roller arranged to have a reciprocating movement,

of an alarm device, a slide for releasing said.

device, a spring for normally forcing said slide to releasing position and a trip-arm for holding said slide in locking position by engaging thestrip on the supply-roller whereby a succession of alarms will be sounded upon the depletion of the supply.

12. In a cash-register the combination with a supply-roller for a recording-strip arranged to be reciprocated upon each operation of the machine, an alarm and a release device for said alarm arranged to follow the movements of the recording-strip on said roller as the supply diminishes and as the roller is reciprocated until finally upon the depletion of the supply said device releases the alarm upon each operation of the machine.

13. In a cash-register the combination with an automatic alarm, of a printing mechanism having a supply-roller for a recording-strip, 5

arranged to be reciprocated upon each operation of the machine and a release device for said alarm arranged to follow the movements of the recording-strip on said roller as the supply diminishes and as the roller is reciprocated until finally upon the depletion of the supply said device releases the alarm upon each operation of the machine.

141-. The combination with a paper-supply device, of a spring-pressed alarm device, a slide for latching said alarm device in tensive condition, a spring for normally forcing said slide to releasing position, and a tripping-arm for holding such slide in latching position by engagement with the paper.

15. The combination with a supply-roller, of a spring-actuated escapement carrying a bell-clapper, a bell, a spring-pressed slide carrying a stop for such escapement, a tripping-lever arranged to engage the paper, and an adjustable connection between said lever and slide.

16. In a cash-register, the combination with an automatic alarm, of a trip for said alarm arranged to release and arrest the same so that a succession of alarms may be sounded, and a'printing mechanism including a papersupply roller; the construction being such that the trip successively releases and arrests the alarm by the successive bodily movements of the paper-roller.

17. The combination with a supply-roller, of an automatic alarm device, a slide for normally holding said alarm in check, aspring for forcing said slide out of locking position, a trip-lever arranged to bear against the papersupply and means mounted on said lever and arranged to engage said slide to hold the same in looking position against the tension of the spring.

18. In a cash-register, the combination with a supply-roller, of a recording-strip, an acoustic alarm, a tripping-arm for said alarm, a spring arranged to force said arm automatically into engagement with the record-strip so that it will follow the movements of said strip without sounding the alarm until a certain predetermined point is reached when it will release the alarm.

19. In a cash-register, the combination with a printing mechanism, including a paper-supply roller, an automatic alarm. atripping-arm connected to said alarm and arranged to automatically follow the movements of the recording-strip on the roller as the supply diminishes without releasing said alarm but to finally release the alarm upon the depletion of said supply.

20. In a cash-register, the combination with a paper-supply roller arranged to have a reciprocating movement, of an alarm device, a tripping means for said alarm arranged to engage the paper and to follow the movements oi the same without tripping the alarm until it is finally allowed a predetermined degree of movement when the alarm is tripped.

521. In a cash-register, the combination with a supply-roller for a recording-strip which is reciprocated on each operation of the machine, an alarm and a release device for said alarm arranged to follow the movements of the recordin -strip without releasing the alarm until l'inally a predetermined degree ol movement is allowed said device, when the alarm is released.

22. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, and a printing mech anism including a paper-roll, of an indicating mechanism for indicating the depletion of said roll, and means controlled by said roll to cause said indicating mechanism to be actuated at each operation of the machine when said roll has become depleted.

23. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, and a printing mechanism including a paper-roll, of an acoustic alarm mechanism, and means controlled by said roll to cause successive actuations of said alarm at each operation of the machine when said roll has become depleted.

2a. In a cash-register the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mechanism including a paper-roll given bodily dis placement at each operation of the machine, an indicating mechanism for indicating the depletion of said roll, and means controlled by said bodily displacement of said roll to cause said indicating mechanism to be actuated at each operation of the machine when said roll has become depleted.

25. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mechanism including a paper-roll given bodily displacement at each operation of the machine, an acoustic alarm mechanism, and means controlled by said bodily displacement of said roll to cause said alarm to be actuated successively at each operation of the machine when said roll has become depleted.

26. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mech anism including a paper-roll, an indicating mechanism for indicating the depletion of said roll, an arm bearing against the periphery of said roll, and means connected with said arm for actuating said indicating device at each operation of the machine when said roll has become depleted.

27. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mechanism including a paper-roll given bodily displacement at each operation of the machine, an indicating mechanism for indicating the depletion of said roll, an arm bearing against the periphery of said roll, and means connected with said arm for actuating said indicating device by said bodily displacement of said roll at each operation of the machine when the roll is depleted.

28. in a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mechanism inchiuling a paper-roll given bodily displacement at each operation of the machine, an indicating mechanism for indicating the depletion of said roll, and means controlled by said bodily displacement of said roll to cause said indicating mechanism to be actuatcdwhen said roll has become depleted.

29. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a printing mechanism including a paper-roll given bodily displacement at each operation of the machine, an indicating mechanism for indicatii'ig the depletion of said roll, an arm bearing against the periphery of said roll, and. means connected with said arm for actuating said indicating device upon said bodily movement of said roll when the roll is depleted.

30. :In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, a member moved at each operation of the machine, and a printing mechanism for recording upon paper, of an indicating mechanism for indicating the failure of said paper, and means controlled by said paper but dependent upon the operation of said movable member, to cause said member to produce an actuation of said indicating mechanism at each operation of the machine upon the failure of said paper.

31. In a cash-register, the combination with an operating mechanism, a member moved at each operation of the machine, and a printing mechanism for recording upon paper, of an indicating mechanism For indicating the faili ure of said paper, an arm bearingagainst said paper, and means controlled by said arm to cause said indicating mechanism to be actuated at each operation of the machine upon the failure of said paper, such actuation ol said indicating mechanism being attendant upon the movement of said member.

I n testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY l. \ViIl'IEIIOUSlC. \Vitnesses:

Osmn. ll. IrrKiN, (i. F. SCIIOUEK, Jr.

ICC 

